Foundry Certified Cadence DFM Turnkey Service

Foundry Certified Cadence DFM Turnkey Service

Signoff Seminar November 2013Rudy Mason- Senior Staff Application Engineer – VCAD

2 © 2013 Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

• Litho Process Check (LPC) is required for TSMC 28nm process nodes and below and is recommended at larger process nodes

• Chemical Mechanical Polishing check (VCMP) is recommended for TSMC 45nm, 40nm and 28nm process nodes

• Cadence DFM Service is customized to the customer’s needs and scheduled to provide fastest turn-around for LPC or VCMP checks. Analysis can be performed on

– Early design data

– Close to tapeout design data

– Final tapeout data

Background


• Litho process check (LPC)– Problem: Some DRC-clean layouts do not print on silicon– Solution: Must-have litho hotspot detection and fixing

of design with foundry-certified tools– TSMC certified tool: Litho Physical Analyzer

• Chemical-Mechanical Polishing (CMP)– Problem: Copper erodes during CMP step

and leads to yield loss and reliability issues– Solution: Must-have CMP hotspot detection

and fixing using foundry-certified tools– TSMC certified tool: Cadence CMP Predictor

DFM IntroductionDRC clean is not sufficient

DishingOxide Loss

IsolatedThin-Lines

IsolatedWide-Lines

Dense ArrayThin-Lines

Dense ArrayWide-Lines

Total Copper LossErosionCMP

Litho

Foundries demand that new DFM verification standards are metby the customer prior to agreeing to manufacture


• Cadence will analyze customer’s GDSII database with production proven Litho Physical Analyzer (LPA) software to ensure layout meets TSMC’s DFM requirements for Lithography Process Check

– Customer data must be DRC clean

• Cadence LPA is qualified by TSMC to simulate the actual resist shapes created at each photo step on all critical mask layers

– LPA is TSMC's golden engine for 40nm and 28nm

– LPA has been the first to qualify at TSMC 65-28nm nodes,

– LPA is used in the TSMC ISF flows

• Hotspots identified by LPA like pinch and bridge patterns may pass DRCs, but are known to pose yield issues that can be avoided

Cadence LPC Service (Litho Process Check)


• Cadence will analyze customer’s GDSII data base with production proven Cadence CMP Predictor (CCP) software to ensure layout meets all TSMC’s DFM requirements for VCMP check.

– CCP simulates the interconnect copper thickness over customer’s layout.

• Cadence CMP Predictor tool is qualified by TSMC and uses the latest available DDKs (DFM Data Kits) and engines to simulate TSMC’s CMP process

• Hotspot locations that will not meet required thickness control specifications are detected and fed back to the customer to improve the layout

Cadence CMP Service


• Sign-off analysis compliance: ensures compliance to TSMC DFM checking mandate

• Lowest total cost of ownership: No investment in software tools, multi-CPU infrastructure and learning of new tools

• Efficient access: provides priority turnkey access to TSMC Golden DFM analysis both prior to and at tape-out

• Reduced schedule risk: allows the customer to verify DFM compliance early with an Initial Top Level GDSII run

• Optimal time-to-results: harnesses 50-100 dedicated CPUs/run in our server farm for fast turn-around time

• Security: leverages a highly reliable and state-of-the-art IT and security infrastructure which ensures protection from unauthorized access.

• Leverage Cadence expertise: leverages team with many man years of experience and combined resources of Cadence Design Services and R&D

• Low risk learning experience: provides a learning experience for designers to understand DFM while designing with advanced process nodes

• Automated repair: Output report enables automated fixing of LPC hotspots in Cadence Encounter or Virtuoso implementation flows

Benefits of Cadence DFM Services


• Customer provides Initial Top Level GDSII database

• Cadence performs LPA analysis to meet TSMC’s LPC requirements

• DeliverablesLPC Output:

– Hotspot locations and level of severity reported after each run with guidelines for modifying layout to remove the highest priority yield detractors.

– Output files enable auto fixing with Cadence Encounter or Virtuoso implementation flows

– Comprehensive report file for the foundry

Consultation as needed to fix the yield detractors

• The Updated Top Level GDSII database with “fixes” will be run again to confirm LPC DFM compliance

LPC Service Solution


• Customer provides Initial Top Level GDSII database

• Cadence performs CMP analysis to meet TSMC CMP requirements

• Deliverables

CMP Output:– Metal density distribution (heat map) and histogram chart

– Metal thickness distribution (heat map) and histogram chart

– Hotspot locations with type of errors

Consultation as needed to fix the yield detractors

• The Updated Top Level GDSII database with “fixes” will be run again to confirm CMP DFM compliance

CMP Service Solution


• Customer provides GDSII/OASIS input for each DFM Analysis– FTP compressed, encrypted GDSII/OASIS to a secure

Cadence drop-box (Data should be DRC clean with respective log information)

– Identification of all technology information, process options, and CAD layers should be included

• Required GDSII layers– LPC: OD, PO, CO, M1, VIAx and all Mx

– CMP: M1, all Mx, My, Mz, Mr

Customer Provided Data


• Cadence’s provides end-to-end TSMC certified DFM sign-off analysis which ensures compliance to TSMC’s DFM recommendation

• Over 75 DFM runs completed so far• Offers a secure and risk-free alternative to in-house DFM

signoff and complements efficiently in-Design DFM Analysis• Cadence provides expertise leveraging TSMC certified

tools, methodologies, processes and use models to provide the fastest turnaround time

• Can be combined with In-Design tool solution for block screening

Summary

Foundry Certified Cadence DFM Turnkey Service

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